Flavor Flav faces speeding-to-mom's-funeral charge

Frank Eltman, Associated Press Writer

Updated 6:16 pm, Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Photo: Frank Eltman

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Flavor Flav speaks with reporters following an appearance in Nassau County District Court in Hempstead, N.Y., on Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2014. The rapper, whose real name is William Drayton, was in court on charges he was speeding and driving with a suspended license en route to his mother's funeral in Long Island on Jan. 9. Drayton pleaded not guilty Tuesday and was released without bail. (AP Photo/Frank Eltman) ORG XMIT: RPFE101 less

Flavor Flav speaks with reporters following an appearance in Nassau County District Court in Hempstead, N.Y., on Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2014. The rapper, whose real name is William Drayton, was in court on charges ... more

Photo: Frank Eltman

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Flavor Flav speaks with reporters following an appearance in Nassau County District Court in Hempstead, N.Y., on Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2014. The rapper, whose real name is William Drayton, was in court on charges he was speeding and driving with a suspended license en route to his mother's funeral in Long Island on Jan. 9. Drayton pleaded not guilty Tuesday and was released without bail. (AP Photo/Frank Eltman) ORG XMIT: RPFE102 less

Flavor Flav speaks with reporters following an appearance in Nassau County District Court in Hempstead, N.Y., on Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2014. The rapper, whose real name is William Drayton, was in court on charges ... more

Photo: Frank Eltman

Flavor Flav faces speeding-to-mom's-funeral charge

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HEMPSTEAD — Flavor Flav pleaded not guilty Tuesday to charges stemming from a traffic stop earlier this month as he raced to his mother's funeral in suburban New York.

State police said the rapper and reality TV star, whose real name is William Drayton, was speeding and driving without a license, a felony, on Jan. 9 as he drove on the Meadowbrook Parkway not far from where the Freeport, N.Y., native grew up. He was ticketed and told to appear for his arraignment Tuesday.

His attorney, Indji Bessim, told Nassau County District Court Judge Norman St. George that over the past several days she and her client have worked to clear up the 16 outstanding traffic matters that sparked the unlicensed driving charge.

The judge released Drayton without bail, although the rapper has not been in custody, and scheduled a return court date for Friday, as is routine following an arraignment.

Wearing his trademark clock around his neck — removing it to pass through metal detectors walking into the courthouse — Drayton smiled and hugged relatives and fans, stopping once or twice to sign an autograph or have a photo taken with a fan.

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As he exited the courtroom following the brief proceeding, Drayton told reporters: "God is good. G-I-G."

He told reporters later that he hoped the charges would eventually be dismissed.